Jonathan Rauch, author of Cross Purposes: Christianity’s Broken Bargain with Democracy, and Julian Zelizer, author of In Defense of Partisanship, join Jeffrey Rosen for a wide-ranging discussion on their new books and the rise of partisanship in America.
This conversation was originally streamed live as part of the NCC’s America’s Town Hall program series on March 3, 2025.
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This episode was produced by Samson Mostashari and Bill Pollock. It was engineered by Bill Pollock and David Stotz. Research was provided by Yara Daraiseh, Gyuha Lee, Samson Mostashari, and Cooper Smith.
Participants
Jonathan Rauch is a senior fellow in the governance studies program at the Brookings Institution and a contributing writer for The Atlantic. He is the author of numerous books, including The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth, The Happiness Curve, and Gay Marriage. His newest book is Cross Purposes: Christianity’s Broken Bargain with Democracy.
Julian Zelizer is the Malcolm Stevenson Forbes Class of 1941 Professor of History and Public Affairs at Princeton University, a CNN political analyst, and a contributor to NPR’s Here & Now. He is the author and editor of numerous books, including Myth America, Burning Down the House, and;Fault Lines. His newest book is In Defense of Partisanship.
Jeffrey Rosen is the president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization devoted to educating the public about the U.S. Constitution. Rosen is also professor of law at The George Washington University Law School and a contributing editor of The Atlantic.
Additional Resources
- Julian E. Zelizer, In Defense of Partisanship (2025)
- Jonathan Rauch, Cross Purposes: Christianity's Broken Bargain with Democracy (2025)
- Julian E. Zelizer, Abraham Joshua Heschel: A Life of Radical Amazement (2021)
- Jonathan Rauch, “Christian Renewal and the Future of American Democracy,” Brigham Young University Wheatley Institute (Jan. 24, 2025)
- Jeffrey Rosen, The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America (2024)
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